UK businesses are adopting new technology to improve productivity and increase sales, a survey by TomTom Telematics has found.

The research found two-thirds (68%) of businesses believe technology is important in recruiting, motivating and retaining employees.

The most commonly cited motivators for adopting new technology were increasing productivity (19%), increasing sales (11%), lowering business costs (11%) and improving customer service (11%).

Half of businesses (49%), however, believe there is a lack of reliable advice for those looking to introduce new technology systems, with 24% citing a lack of information from providers as a major challenge to adoption.

Other key challenges cited include a lack of expertise within the organisation (29%), an inability to find a provider that fits with the organisation (31%) and cost (38%).

The study was conducted among 200 company managers via an online and mobile survey in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.

Beverley Wise, director UK & Ireland at TomTom Telematics, said: “Businesses need to work with disruptive technology or risk being left behind by their competitors.

“There’s a noticeable reluctance to adopting emerging solutions among many UK businesses.

“This is particularly prevalent among SMEs, with these businesses 10 percentage points less likely to be early adopters of new technology that their larger competitors (37% vs 47%).”

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